Read Daniel Taylor’s match report:

And here’s Jamie Jackson on the game:

90 min +1: In the first of two added minutes, Origi dances around down the left, and hammers straight at De Gea again. De Gea fumbles, but the loose ball somehow evades Allen, rushing in.

90 min: A high ball pumped down the middle into the United half. A cheeky backflick by Benteke releases Origi into space. He tears towards the United box before lashing a shot straight at De Gea.

89 min: Ryan Giggs has made his way down to the touchline, making a point of looking miserable. A political play, perhaps.

88 min: Mata tries to spring Rashford clear down the inside left, but his pass spins forward off the turf and out for a goal kick.

87 min: Blind and De Gea faff around at the back. The clock’s ticking away here, lads! Blind then plays an appalling ball up the left flank, straight to Lallana, who sends it back towards him. The ball deflects out for a corner, which comes to naught, but Liverpool are another minute towards victory in this tie.

86 min: ... there’s a bit of pinball, and then Lingard, from 25 yards, sends a daisycutter well wide right.

85 min: Firmino is replaced by Benteke. The away section is making plenty of noise. One goal would change the atmosphere. And there’s a surge in noise as Valencia makes his way down the right, crosses, and sees the ball clank off Milner’s elbow and out for a corner. From which ...

83 min: Lingard trots at speed down the inside-right channel. He tries to nick the ball away, but only succeeds in bringing his man down. A free kick, 30 yards from goal, and a booking. Schweinsteiger swings it in. Sakho heads clear (pt XXXVIII). Blind tries to return it with a spectacular volley, but this one’s into the top left of the Stretford End. Meanwhile here’s Russell Richardson again: “Andy Diagram (trumpet and arrangements, also of James and the mighty Spaceheads) is most def (adopted) Manc. So does that make Pale Fountains a rare example of Scouse/Manc fusion? A bit like Macca with Scholsey on BT Sport?”

81 min: Coutinho goes for the top left, but blasts it miles over the bar. He’s had a very mixed evening. On the whole, he’s had a poor game, wasting quite a few decent chances. But then that goal, that goal ...

80 min: Lallana races towards the United box, cocking his leg back to shoot. On the edge of the D, he’s hacked down in gloriously cynical style by Schweinsteiger, who takes his booking. A free kick in a very dangerous position.

78 min: Lallana slides a pass in from the left for Coutinho, who hits a rising shot from the edge of the D. It’s straight at De Gea once again, though. The keeper’s forced to tip this one over the bar. From the corner, Firmino gets a yard down the inside right and hits across De Gea towards the bottom left. De Gea saves brilliantly, and anyway that yard was the one that put him offside.

76 min: A chance for Rashford to make it into the Liverpool six-yard box, breaking down the left channel past a flat-footed Clyne. But a heavy touch clanks the ball out of play for a goal kick. Time is beginning to run out for United now, who need something quickly if they’re to plant a few seeds of doubt in Liverpool minds.

75 min: If it’s not over quite yet, Coutinho should have put it to bed. Can made ground into the United box down the left and pulled the ball back for Coutinho, who dropped a shoulder to find himself with only Smalling and De Gea to beat. A poor shot goes through Smalling, but it’s straight at De Gea. A few inches either side, and that was that.

74 min: Still all United. But still Liverpool hold their shape. Meanwhile an important correction and clarification by David Reynolds: “The Paleys are Scouse not Manc. Mick Head is an undisputed genius.”

72 min: Rashford and Valencia combine crisply down the right, the latter reaching the byline and pulling back for Fellaini, who leans back and converts in the rugby style. The home fans aren’t happy with him. He’s getting in all the right places, to be fair. If this keeps happening, you’d think he’ll get it right sooner rather than later.

71 min: Schweinsteiger comes on for Carrick, while Henderson is replaced by Allen.

70 min: Scrappy play by the United midfield, and Origi is tearing into acres down the inside-left channel. He should enter the area and score, but doesn’t back himself, perhaps still a bit cold after coming on. Smalling tracks back and brilliantly shepherds Origi away from the goal. Despite Firmino and Lallana arriving on the scene, Smalling stays strong, and Liverpool’s attack peters out.

69 min: Lallana twists and scampers down the right to earn a Liverpool corner, but the set piece is a waste of time. Fellaini heads clear easily. He has his uses.

68 min: Sturridge is replaced by Origi. He doesn’t look very happy about it. Way it goes. He was very unlucky to hit the crossbar with that first-half free kick, but otherwise he’s been very quiet.

67 min: Fellaini receives the ball at his feet, on the edge of the D, his back to goal. But he doesn’t back himself to turn and shoot, despite there being time and space. He plays it back upfield, and the home fans give him the very vocal bird.

66 min: And now a rare Liverpool attack, as Can strips the ball from Carrick and sends Firmino into the United box, albeit wide on the left. Blind marshals him away from the danger zone.

65 min: Carrick nearly splits Liverpool apart with a simple pass down the middle, hoping to find Rashford in the box. But Lovren steps up to clear.

63 min: A second change for United: Rojo is replaced by Darmian. Lingard, busying himself down the inside-right channel, backheels neatly to Martial, who lashes wildly high and wide right from the edge of the box. United haven’t given this up by a long chalk. They’re coming at Liverpool relentlessly.

62 min: Coutinho sashays down the middle of the park, and slides Sturridge into space on the right. Sturridge glides into the box, then shanks an appalling close-range effort miles wide right.

61 min: Clyne continues to look a bag of nerves. Bringing a simple ball out of defence, he’s very nearly robbed by Fellaini. He only just manages to bang a clearance upfield. Had he lost possession, United were clear on goal.

59 min: On BT Sport, Howard Webb suggests Fellaini should have had a straight red for his elbow on Lovren, having “led with the point”. Back on the pitch, United continue to press Liverpool back. Carrick, deep on the right, finds the head of the aforementioned elbow-happy midfielder. He tries to guide a header down into the bottom right, but it’s straight at Mignolet. Fellaini’s a blunt instrument all right, in more ways than one, but if United throw him up front, he could pose the visitors a few problems. He’s caused Liverpool plenty of trouble in the past.

57 min: A bit of pinball in the Liverpool box, and for a second it looks as though Rashford will be gifted a free shot from eight yards. But as he cocks his leg back, Sakho comes sliding out of nowhere, a brilliant tackle to deny the young talent. Then United come again down the right, Mata curling a ball in for the ever-dangerous Rashford, who chests down on the penalty spot but slaps the dropping ball wide right. Another chance.

55 min: Sturridge very nearly strips the ball off a snoozing Blind down the Liverpool right, but as he looks to break towards the box Smalling comes to the rescue. Here’s Marie Mayer: “Tell Russell Richardson (47 min) I know that the riposte is Our Cilla and I’m not even English.”

53 min: United are reasserting themselves. Liverpool can’t hold onto the ball at all. Lingard is afforded all sorts of space in the Liverpool half. But he takes too much time to line up his shot, and Lallana blocks.

52 min: The shaky Clyne is booked for clattering into Rashford as the young man causes him all sorts of concern down the left. A free kick just outside the Liverpool box. Carrick hoicks it low and hard towards the near post, where Milner blocks out for a corner. Blind takes the set piece, but the ball-magnet Sakho heads clear yet again.

50 min: Fellaini and Lovren tussle on the edge of the Liverpool box. Fellaini crumps his elbow onto Lovren’s lug. He’s quite rightly booked. Given his clap on Firmino’s jaw during the early exchanges of the first half, he’s fairly lucky to still be on the park.

49 min: Space for Rojo down the left. He hooks high into the Liverpool area. Fellaini rises high. His header comes off Sakho and squirts wide right. Corner. And it’s Sakho who wins the header at the set piece. Liverpool clear their lines. But that’s an early scare for Liverpool, who will be reminded that this ain’t over yet.

47 min: A scrappy start to the second half. United are trying to keep the tempo high, Liverpool are doing their best to break up the play. Passes aren’t sticking. Meanwhile here’s Russell Richardson, who had been enjoying the half-time entertainment: “The Smiths, the Stone Roses, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, New Order, ACR, Oasis, 10cc, the Hollies, Barclay James Harvest, Simply Red, Dislocation Dance, the Pale Fountains, James, The mighty Fall... can you name just one halfway decent band that ever came out of Liverpool... oh, right.”

So that first half was brilliantly entertaining, but a strange business. United had most of the possession, and Liverpool looked very shaky at the back, but the home side needed a penalty to make the breakthrough. Otherwise, Simon Mignolet had very little to do. On the flip side, when Liverpool did attack, they looked dangerous, but a combination of the usual David de Gea brilliance, the bar and some profligate shooting generally did for them. And then Coutinho’s intervention. It’s an uphill battle for United now - they need to score three in this second half without reply - but Liverpool’s record at Old Trafford is bad enough that one United goal will rattle the nerves. This promises to be quite an affair.

Half-time entertainment, courtesy of Granada Reports: Tony Wilson, Morrissey, and Johnny Marr. None more Mancunian. “Good old Mozart. Hip guy.”

44 min: Coutinho glides down the left and curls one into the United box, low and hard. Firmino tries to flick goalwards, but his cute effort flies over the bar.

43 min: Liverpool are all over the place at the back. They could do with the half-time whistle. A long ball down the inside-left channel is pulled back from the byline by Fellaini. Rojo, rushing in, meets the ball on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, but slams it wide! United should be level in this tie.

42 min: Lingard burns Coutinho down the right, and is hauled back for his bother. A booking for the Liverpool man. And a free kick just outside the Liverpool box on the right. Mata curls a low one to the near post. Milner hacks the awful set piece clear.

41 min: Henderson cuts in from the left, sliding a ball right for Coutinho, who pings it straight back, releasing his captain into the United area! It’s a lovely, flowing move, which is ruined by Henderson’s leaning back and hitting a first-time sidefoot over the bar and wide right. He was going for the top right corner; that’d have been a peach of a goal. Instead, an awful miss.

39 min: Can races into a lot of space down the right. United are a bit short at the back. Can doesn’t do much with the ball, though. Milner tries to regain the momentum by probing down the left, but his curler into the box wafts harmlessly out of play to the right of De Gea’s goal. On the touchline, Klopp is beside himself with rage.

37 min: United fans will be enjoying it more than Liverpool’s, mind. Rashford romps into acres down the right, reaches the byline and very nearly finds Martial in the middle with a pullback. But his ball finds Sakho, positioned perfectly to snuff out the danger. It’s an electric atmosphere right now. And this game is poised in a fascinating position.

36 min: Clyne is being seriously unnerved by Martial, who is close to skipping past him again down the left. Clyne then hangs out a boot and kicks Lingard, and this is a free kick just to the left of the Liverpool box. Mata curls it in, but Sakho heads clear easily enough. A sense that anything could happen now. This is excellent entertainment.

34 min: The players faff about for the best part of a minute. And then Sturridge whips one over the wall and towards the top-left corner. It’s beaten De Gea, but batters the crossbar! United clear. This game really is on now.

33 min: Liverpool respond well to going behind, Sturridge making ground down the right and beating Blind on the outside. Blind hangs out a leg, and he’s in the book. And this is a free kick just to the right of the United penalty area. A dangerous position. Liverpool load the box.

30 min: Now Firmino has a crack from distance, 25 yards from goal, in a central position. That’s straight at De Gea, though he was unsighted a little, and the ball had reared up a little off the turf.

28 min: Another chance for Coutinho! Sturridge, out on the right, fires low into the centre for Firmino, who opts to leave the ball for the in-rushing Coutinho. He pearls a wonderful low shot towards the bottom right from the edge of the D, but De Gea is down at full stretch to parry. A strong hand, and he gets up to smother before Coutinho can latch onto the rebound. Liverpool are beginning to look dangerous on the counter. But what a save!

25 min: What a chance for Liverpool! Lovren, of all people, strides into space down the right. He rolls a pass inside for Coutinho, who has nobody within ten yards of him. Plenty of space to shoot from 20 yards, but he takes a wooden touch, allowing Smalling to sashay off with the ball. Liverpool come again down the left, but Sturridge and Milner, trying to skip past United’s back line with a neat one-two, encourage the linesman to put his flag up.

24 min: Sturridge dribbles into the United box down the left, and he’s got Blind backtracking in a worried fashion. But ultimately Blind holds firm, and blocks when Sturridge eventually shoots. United go up the other end through Rashford on the left. He goes down in the box, but Sakho romps off with the ball, and there’s been no foul. He claimed that well.

22 min: Martial attempts to replicate the goal he scored on debut against Liverpool in the league. He cuts in from the left, with Lallana in the Martin Skrtel role, spinning like a top. But in looking to curl into the top right, he lashes wildly over the bar. United are playing very well here, exuding a confidence rarely seen this season.

21 min: Milner is allowed to scamper 70 yards down the left wing from a deep position. (He’s playing in Moreno’s position, not Clyne.) His cross, with men in the box, is straight at Carrick, who clears with ease. But what on earth was Varela up to there? Nothing, is what he was up to.

19 min: Rojo, out on the left, loops high into the Liverpool box. Lingard is on the penalty box. Mignolet thinks about coming to claim, then opts not to. Big mistake. He’s out of position, and if Lingard finds the top left with his header, it’s a goal. But he doesn’t get enough on it, and Mignolet can palm out at full stretch for a corner. From which, United should take the lead. A game of head tennis in the Liverpool box, and the ball falls to Mata, eight yards out and level with the left-hand post. He squirts an appalling volley wide right of the goal, the ball bobbling out in apologetic fashion. United are beginning to threaten, though. Liverpool are looking shaky.

17 min: Sturridge, to the right of the centre circle, flicks Lallana free down the middle. But the Liverpool midfielder is quite rightly flagged offside; he was a few yards off all right.

16 min: United are on top right now, first to most balls. But they’re not doing much with the possession. It’s a lot of scrappy nonsense so far, really. Suddenly Martial has space down the left, but he runs straight into Sturridge of all people.

14 min: Rashford looks in the mood to trouble Sakho tonight. Once again he nearly zips past him on the right, but doesn’t keep control sufficiently to finish the job. United come again, another phase of attack, and Mata flicks down the inside-left channel, very nearly releasing the busy Rashford into the box. Clyne does just about enough to hold the striker off and blooter clear.

12 min: Mata hangs out a leg to nick the ball off Henderson, but he’s penalised for stopping the Liverpool captain in his tracks. It’s in the centre circle, so doesn’t really mean much, but the home crowd aren’t very happy with a couple of the referee’s decisions so far.

10 min: What goes round comes round. Fellaini goes up with Firmino in the midfield, and crunches an elbow on the Brazilian’s jaw. That could easily have been a yellow. But the referee opts for a quiet word instead.

8 min: Liverpool are struggling to retain possession in these early exchanges. United seeing a lot of the ball. But Liverpool are holding their defensive shape well. Rojo threatens to make good down the left, but Clyne is quickly over to block. From the resulting throw, Can places both of his hands on Fellaini’s back. They’re on the white line of the penalty box, so Can is taking quite a chance as his opponent goes to ground. No foul, apparently, indeed Fellaini is penalised for handball as he falls.

7 min: Mata beats Can in a crunching 50-50. But then his ball out to Martial on the left sails into the stand. The crowd enjoyed that first part, though. In truth, this is a bit scrappy. But did we expect anything else?

5 min: Martial, out on the left, sprays a delightful diagonal pass to Mata on the right corner of the Liverpool box. Mata brings the ball down and feeds Varela on the overlap, but the full back is barged out of it by a no-nonsense charge by Milner. That was fairly robust. Another referee might have given a free kick that’d have been as good as a corner. But not this one, not now.

3 min: Sturridge has a run down the right, with United looking a little light at the back. He’s got options in the middle, but runs straight into Blind, who had tracked him well.

2 min: United are on the front foot in the early exchanges, with the home fans doing their bit. Just like Anfield last week, it’s a stunning atmosphere. Fellaini has a wander down the left. Lingard has a look on the right. Liverpool hold their shape. The mood is frantic, as you’d imagine.

The teams are out! Manchester United are in their famous red shirts and white shorts; Liverpool are forced into their all-black change kit. A thundering atmosphere at Old Trafford, as you’d expect. This is the one, as Byrds tribute act The Stone Roses have it. Simon McMahon has an even more meaningful ditty for us, though:

“What we need is a great big melting pot
Big enough to take the world and all it’s got
And keep it stirring for a hundred years or more
And turn out half and half football scarves by the score.”

You got a recipe for a get-along scene, Simon. This is a get-along scene, right? We’ll be off in a minute!

And now it’s Jurgen Klopp’s turn. And the gauntlet is down! “We knew that we had to come here to play, so we can ignore the first result. It’s not important for us today. We are here to win the game again. That’s what we shall try. That’s all we have thought about. We are looking forward to it, we are excited, everything is good! We are not a low-rhythm team.” He’s then asked by BT Sport’s Des Kelly if scoring first would burst United’s bubble. “Yes, but that’s always what you should try, isn’t it?” You can’t knock the logic.

Louis van Gaal speaks! And the gauntlet is down! “The only message is to win this game. At least by 2-0, because then you have extra time and then we can win more. 2-0 would be a fantastic revival. We want a quick start to lift the crowd, but it depends how Liverpool start, you never know how they start. The crowd are important: you saw that in Liverpool. But it’s important what we as a team show to them, because then we have a chemistry. If we can do that with each other, we have a big chance to write history!”

Sweet half-and-half harmony. Chances are I’ll be in a minority of one, but isn’t this a beautiful thing?

So shall we bask in the lovely absurdity of that, rather than paying heed to the actions of a couple of sorry fools on the M602? Hopefully not a single fan in the ground, of either stripe, will act the eejit tonight. Pelé wanted us all to love each other, so let’s go down that road instead.

Not many changes to report. Manchester United make one from the team that started last weekend’s FA Cup tie against West Ham United. Juan Mata takes the place of the injured Ander Herrera. But if we compare tonight’s team to the one they put out at Anfield for the first leg, it’s two changes: Michael Carrick and Jesse Lingard replace Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin.

Liverpool would have named the same team as last Thursday, had Alberto Moreno not twanged a hamstring in training last night. His left-back berth is filled by Nathaniel Clyne, who shuffles across from the other flank; James Milner will be in Clyne’s normal position.